German chamber's AI startup pitching contest crowns Modigensvision

Modigensvision has won the "Korea-Germany Connect: AI Startup Pitching Challenge 2026," a competition organized by the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) to help domestic AI startups break into global markets.

The event was held Wednesday at the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Startup Branch in Samseong-dong, Seoul, and was jointly organized by KGCCI, Infineon Technologies and KITA. Beyond a straightforward startup competition, it served as a forum for Korean AI companies to assess their prospects in Germany and broader European markets and expand their global networks.

Five Korean AI startups competed in the final round: Modigensvision, ImpactiveAI, CUBIG, Tomorrow Robotics and HyperNetwork. The participating companies showcased innovations spanning enterprise AI, advanced manufacturing, robotics, spatial intelligence and digital healthcare, highlighting the competitiveness of Korea's AI industry.

Modigensvision impressed the judges with its 3D vision infrastructure technology, which integrates camera modules, edge AI computing and vision software into a single system. The company has recently drawn international attention after winning the Supernova Challenge at GITEX Africa 2026 and reaching the top six of the Infineon Startup Challenge Asia 2026.

As the winner, Modigensvision earned a spot on the main stage of the 19th Asia-Pacific German Business Conference (APK 2026), to be held in Seoul in October, where it will present its technology to business leaders, investors and policymakers from around the world.

Kim Dae-hee, chief executive of Modigensvision, said the company aims to be "a global vision infrastructure company leading the physical AI era through 3D vision and spatial intelligence technology." He described the event as "an opportunity to showcase a proven solution to environmental perception bottlenecks and to build a bridge for creating real business synergies with global partners, including those in Germany."

The judging panel included representatives from the German Embassy in Korea, KITA, Infineon Technologies, Aumovio, Mercedes-Benz and Korea Herald. Judges evaluated entrants on a range of criteria, including technological capability, innovation, market potential, business performance, suitability for the German and EU markets, potential for business-to-business collaboration, sustainability and presentation skills.

Marie Antonia von Schönburg, chief executive of KGCCI, said Modigensvision "demonstrated outstanding technology and the potential to grow in global markets." She added that she hopes APK 2026 will serve as "a platform for collaboration connecting Korean startups with German industry, investors and policymakers."

The 19th Asia-Pacific German Business Conference is scheduled to run from Oct. 29 to Oct. 31 in Seoul. Held every two years, APK is a leading platform for economic exchange between Germany and the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together approximately 1,000 senior figures from business, academia and government to discuss strategic opportunities and strengthen regional partnerships.